Vegetation hanger

ABSTRACT

A vegetation hanger includes a hanger portion and a crossbar. The hanger portion includes a first aperture, a stem, and a base. The first aperture is configured for handling of the vegetation hanger. The stem includes a first end portion and a second end portion. The stem extends from the first end portion towards the second end portion and defines a second aperture configured for hanging of the vegetation hanger. The crossbar is coupled to the hanger portion and defines a linear plate having a first edge, a second edge, a first end portion, and a second end portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/559,075, filed on Dec. 22, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/930,522, filed on Jul. 16, 2020, issuedon Jun. 7, 2022, as U.S. Pat. No. 11,350,574, which claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/874,939, filed on Jul. 16,2019, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a hanger and, moreparticularly, to a hanger for facilitating hang harvesting,transportation, drying and unloading of vegetation.

BACKGROUND

Vegetation such as plants, herbs, flowers, hemp and/or cannabis andother vegetation are frequently harvested and subsequently dried toproduce a final product. Typically, during the drying process,vegetation is hung on plastic netting, which causes stress to the userand damages the vegetation. This process requires the vegetation to behung one branch at a time and threaded through the netting to secure thevegetation. Removal of the vegetation also requires careful unthreadingof the vegetation one branch at a time from the plastic netting. Othermethods have been contemplated, such as clothing hangers, bailing wires,string and/or ropes, screens, chains, cages, fencing, and combinationsthereof, all of which cause damage to the vegetation and stress to theuser. Therefore, there is a need to provide a method of facilitatinghang harvesting, transporting, drying, and unloading of vegetationwithout damaging the vegetation.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a hanger that includes a hangerportion and a crossbar coupled to the hanger portion to create avegetation hanger to facilitate hang harvesting, transporting, dryingand unloading of vegetation.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a vegetation hangerincluding a hanger portion and a crossbar. The hanger portion includes afirst aperture, a stem, and a base. The first aperture is configured topermit handling of the vegetation hanger by a user. The stem includes afirst end portion and a second end portion, and defines a secondaperture. The second aperture is configured to permit hanging of thevegetation hanger from a support structure. The crossbar is coupled tothe hanger portion and defines a linear plate having a first edge, asecond edge, a first end portion, and a second end portion.

In aspects, the crossbar may include at least one ridge disposed alongthe first edge.

In aspects, the second edge of the cross bar may be bent at apredetermined angle relative to the crossbar.

In aspects, the predetermined angle may be 90 degrees.

In aspects, the first and second end portions of the crossbar may eachinclude a lip.

In aspects, the crossbar may be tapered from a center point between thefirst and second end portions outwardly towards the first and second endportions.

In aspects, the crossbar and the hanger portion may be coupled via atleast one fastener.

In aspects, the first aperture may be dimensioned to receive a hand.

In aspects, the second aperture may be configured to engage one of a baror a wire.

In aspects, the second aperture may include a V-shaped notch.

In aspects, the vegetation hanger may be formed from one or morematerials selected from metal, plastic, or composite materials.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of dryingvegetation on a vegetation hanger. The method includes: hanging avegetation hanger including a hanger portion and a crossbar on asupport; hanging the vegetation on a first edge of the crossbar, thecrossbar having at least one ridge disposed on the first edge to preventmovement of the vegetation; and carrying the vegetation hanger via afirst aperture of the hanger portion, to transport the vegetation from afirst location to a second location.

In aspects, the method may further include assembling the vegetationhanger by coupling the hanger portion to the crossbar.

In aspects, the hanger portion may be coupled to the crossbar with atleast one fastener.

In aspects, carrying the vegetation hanger from a first location to asecond location may include transporting the vegetation from a point ofharvest to a final drying location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vegetation hanger in accordance with thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a hanger portion of the vegetation hanger ofFIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3A is a front view of a crossbar of the vegetation hanger of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the crossbar of the vegetation hanger of FIG.1 ; and

FIG. 4 is a front view of another exemplary vegetation hanger inaccordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the presently disclosed vegetation hanger are describedin detail with reference to the drawings, in which like referencenumerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of theseveral views.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a vegetation hanger provided in accordance withthe present disclosure is shown generally identified by referencenumeral 1. The vegetation hanger 1 generally includes a hanger portion100 and a cross bar portion 200 coupled to the hanger portion 100.

As seen in FIG. 2 , the hanger portion 100 has a first end portion 100 aand a second end portion 100 b. The hanger portion 100 includes a firstaperture 105, a stem 110, and a base 115. The first aperture 105 isdisposed at the first end portion 100 a of the hanger portion 100 and isconfigured to facilitate handling of the vegetation hanger 1 by a user.The first aperture 105 may be dimensioned to receive a hand or one ormore fingers of a user. The hanger portion 100 may be fabricated from alightweight metal, plastic, composite material, or any other suitablematerial. The first end portion 100 a may be dipped in a rubbercomposition, or any other suitable material to provide a comfortablegrip using the first aperture. The first aperture 105 is furtherconfigured to receive a zip tie or any suitable fasteners. A body of thehanger portion 100 is configured to receive a label disposed along thebody of the hanger portion 100, in which both the zip tie and the labelcontain harvest information such as, for example, name of harvest,strain, and/or date and time of harvest, in order to facilitate labelingof the harvest.

The stem 110 extends the first end portion 100 a towards a second endportion 100 b defining a second aperture 120. The second aperture 120 isconfigured to facilitate hanging of the vegetation hanger 1 on a supportor mounting surface, such as, for example, a pole, horizontal bar, hook,or rack. The second aperture 120 may be dimensioned to receive aspecific support, such as for example a horizontal bar with arectangular dimension. As another example, the second aperture 120 mayhave a top end portion that may include a V-shaped notch 120 a at thetop of the second aperture 120 to facilitate the use of the vegetationhanger 1 on wire, string, rope, plastic netting, chain, cage or fencing.

The base 115 of the hanger portion 100 is disposed at the second endportion 100 b and may be coupled to the crossbar 200. The base 115 maybe coupled to the crossbar 200 by ultrasonic welding, magnets, adhesive,cord, or fasteners 112 a, 112 b as shown. The fasteners 112 a, 112 b maybe bolts, screws, or any other suitable fasteners. The base 115, whencoupled to the crossbar 200, is dimensioned to be flush with thecrossbar 200.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the crossbar 200 includes a linearplate 201 configured to facilitate the hanging of vegetation thereon.The linear plate 201 includes a first end portion 200 a and second endportion 200 b, a top edge 200 c, and bottom edge 200 d. At least aportion of top edge 200 c of the linear plate 201 includes at least oneridge, or alternatively as shown, a serrated or textured surfaceincluding a series or plurality of ridges 210, disposed along the topedge 200 c. The series of ridges are configured to prevent vegetationfrom sliding off the crossbar 200 and to provide organization of thevegetation on the series of ridges 210. The linear plate 201 may includeopenings 212 a, 212 b to receive the fasteners 112 a, 112 b to couplethe crossbar 200 to the hanging portion 100. The linear plate 201includes one or more lips 205 a, 205 b disposed on the first and secondend portions 200 a, 200 b, respectively. The lips 205 a, 205 b areconfigured to prevent unintended lateral movement of the vegetation offthe first and second end portions 200 a, 200 b. When intended, lateralmovement of all the vegetation hung on the crossbar 200 at once may beinitiated by a user.

With reference to FIG. 3B, the bottom edge 200 d is configured to bebent to a predetermined angle such as, for example, 90 degrees, relativeto the linear plate 201 to provide additional strength to the linearplate 201 in carrying vegetation on the linear plate 201.

The linear plate 201 may be fabricated at any suitable length, which, asnon-limiting examples, may be one of 21″, 41″, or 61″ to accommodatedifferent open spaces, the amount of vegetation to be dried, and thesupport of vegetation within a drying system. The crossbar 200 may befabricated from a lightweight metal, plastic, composite material, or anyother suitable material. The vegetation hanger 1 may be configured to beflat providing a minimal thickness to allow for stacking and storage ofmultiple vegetation hanger(s). It should be understood that the hangerportion 100 and the crossbar 200 may be fabricated into a single unit,instead of being two components coupled to one another.

With reference to FIG. 4 , the linear plate 201 may be configured to betapered in two directions from a center point 215 between the first endportion 200 a and the second end portion 200 b outwardly towards each ofthe first end portion 200 a and the second end portion 200 b.

In operation to dry vegetation, the vegetation hanger 1, including thehanger portion 100 and the crossbar 200, is hung on a support or amounting surface at the point of harvest. The vegetation may be cut(e.g., to about 24″ in length) and hung along the top edge 200 c of thecrossbar 200. Each piece of harvested vegetation can be placed betweenadjacent ridges of the series of ridges 210 to prevent individualmovement of the vegetation. Once all the vegetation has been placed onthe crossbar 200 of the vegetation hanger 1, the vegetation hanger 1 maybe carried (e.g., by a user) via the first aperture 105 from the pointof harvest to the final drying location.

While several embodiments of the disclosure have been detailed above andare shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure belimited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad inscope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise.Therefore, the above description and accompanying drawings should not beconstrued as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particularembodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modificationswithin the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vegetation hanger, comprising: a crossbarconfigured to support vegetation thereon, the crossbar including aserrated upper edge, a bottom edge, a first end portion, and a secondend portion, the first end portion including a first lip and the secondend portion including a second lip, wherein the serrated upper edgedefines a plurality of ridges configured to prevent the vegetation fromsliding off the crossbar.
 2. The vegetation hanger according to claim 1,wherein at least one of the first lip and the second lip includes anupwardly protruding lip.
 3. The vegetation hanger according to claim 1,wherein the plurality of ridges of the serrated upper edge is arcuate.4. The vegetation hanger according to claim 1, wherein the bottom edgeof the crossbar is bent at a predetermined angle relative to thecrossbar.
 5. The vegetation hanger according to claim 4, wherein thepredetermined angle is 90 degrees.
 6. The hanger according to claim 1,wherein the crossbar is an elongate metal plate.
 7. The vegetationhanger according to claim 1, wherein the crossbar is undulating alongsubstantially an entire length of the serrated upper edge.
 8. Thevegetation hanger according to claim 1, wherein the crossbar has alength ranging from 21″ to 61″ configured to support different types ofvegetation.
 9. The vegetation hanger according to claim 1, wherein thevegetation hanger defines a plane including at least one opening forhanging the vegetation hanger from a support structure.
 10. Thevegetation hanger according to claim 9, wherein the at least one openingof the plane is defined by a hanger portion of the vegetation hanger.11. A vegetation hanger, comprising: a crossbar configured to supportvegetation thereon, the crossbar including a first edge, a second edge,a first end portion, and a second end portion, the first edge includingat least one ridge disposed along the first edge, the first end portionincluding a first lip, and the second end portion including a secondlip, wherein the vegetation hanger defines a plane including at leastone opening for hanging the vegetation hanger from a support structure.12. The vegetation hanger according to claim 11, wherein at least one ofthe first lip and the second lip includes an upwardly protruding lip.13. The vegetation hanger according to claim 11, wherein the at leastone opening of the plane is defined by a hanger portion of thevegetation hanger.
 14. The vegetation hanger according to claim 11,wherein the at least one ridge of the first edge is arcuate.
 15. Thevegetation hanger according to claim 11, wherein the first edge of thecrossbar is a serrated upper edge, the serrated upper edge defining aplurality of ridges configured to prevent the vegetation from slidingoff the crossbar.
 16. The vegetation hanger according to claim 11,wherein the second edge of the crossbar is a bottom edge bent at apredetermined angle relative to the crossbar.
 17. The vegetation hangeraccording to claim 16, wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees.18. The hanger according to claim 11, wherein the crossbar is anelongate metal plate.
 19. The vegetation hanger according to claim 11,wherein the crossbar is undulating along substantially an entire lengthof the first edge.
 20. A vegetation hanger, comprising: a crossbarconfigured to support vegetation thereon, the crossbar including a firstedge, a second edge, a first end portion, a second end portion, and acenter point disposed between the first end portion and the second endportion, the first edge including at least one ridge disposed along thefirst edge, the first end portion including a first lip, and the secondend portion including a second lip, wherein the crossbar tapers from thecenter point towards the first end portion and the second end portion.